Save Aether (The Trinity Key Trilogy Book 3) (25 page)

“I won’t fail you again, Father,” she coughed.

“You’re right. You won’t.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Valera

Valera watched Gideon leave. She heard the cell door locking and curled up next to a wall. She’d never liked the dark. The air felt thick, and she felt like she was drowning. She sank in warm water. It filled her nose and her ears. She sat up and gasped for air. Her eyes darted around the room, blurred by lavender soap. She rubbed them clear and saw her bathroom at Aetherland Isle. Her copper, claw-foot bathtub bubbled over.

“Valera, do hurry. We’re having guests for dinner. I’ve laid your clothes out for you,” her mother’s voice drifted in from her room.

“Yes, Mother.”

Valera stood up, looking at her naked body in the mirror. For a brief second, she remembered a sparkling silver dress. Shaking out her confusion, she retrieved a towel and dried off. She sat at her vanity and dried her hair, brushing it to a glowing sheen. She coiled it on top of her head in a tight knot just as her mother had taught her.

The dress on the bed was her least favorite. The somber black gown suffocated her. She cinched into a chemise and corset.
Pull it extra tight, we must be flawless
. Her mother’s voice demanded in her head. She tightened the corset until she could barely breathe.
Not good enough.
CHAD-4 knocked on her door. He cinched the corset so tight, Valera felt her ribs crack. She had to look perfect, after all. The automaton helped her into the dress. Valera pulled at the high-necked collar.

“It’s so scratchy,” she whined.

“Stop fidgeting,” her mother scolded. “Our guests are arriving soon.”

Although she didn’t remember leaving her room, she was now sitting at the dining table with her mother and Vivi. Vivi’s bouncy curls were pulled into the same skin-ripping coif, and she was in the same body-breaking dress. Valera wondered why her mother had put her little sister in a corset. Something wasn’t right, but she couldn’t figure out what. Victoria tapped on the table. Valera sat straight up like the perfect doll she was meant to be. When the guests arrived, she stood and greeted them. A boy with white-blond hair and grey eyes bowed to her.

CHAD-4 introduced the man. “Presenting, Gideon Killian, Master Engineer of the Order of the Azure Serpents.”

Valera thought he was the most handsome boy she’d ever met. He had to be the reason Mother had her dress up. Surely, this was her new suitor. She wanted to dance. Behind him stood an older man with moles on his face and crooked, yellow teeth. He wiped a hand across his running nose, and bowed.

“So you are the lovely daughter Victoria has told me about. My name is Fowler.”

“Yes… I suppose so…” Valera stammered.

Her mother frowned at her and pinched her back. “Manners, Valera,” she whispered.

The group sat at the table. Fowler sat next to Valera much to her chagrin. She wanted to sit with Gideon, but he sat in the farthest seat away from her. She sighed. Fowler leaned close to her and touched her hand under the table. She pulled away.

He addressed Victoria with a smile, “I’m quite agreeable to our arrangement, Victoria. After meeting Valera, I think it will be a great match.”

Valera was agreeable to the arrangement as well. She’d be quite happy to spend time with Gideon. Fowler touched her leg, and she flinched. She couldn’t understand why this disgusting man was at dinner. Crusty white phlegm flaked on the corners of his mouth when he smiled. Perhaps, he was Gideon’s grandfather. Her mother had always said she would arrange an appropriate marriage at the right time. Valera smiled at Gideon. He looked bored.

“Should I not get to know him first?” Valera asked. “Gideon and I just met.”

Her mother coughed and scowled. “Don’t be foolish, child. Gideon isn’t your equal. Master Fowler, on the other hand, will be a fine husband.”

Valera swallowed the bile that rose in her throat. She stared at the man in question and gagged. Her mother couldn’t possibly be sending her off to marry this man. He was at least four times her age and so… so gross. Everyone at the table laughed. Valera shook her head.

“This isn’t right,” Valera cried. “Gideon tell her.”

Gideon stuck his nose in the air and scoffed, “Why would I settle for a homely creature like you? I have my eyes on a much finer prize.”

He gazed at Victoria and smiled. Victoria blushed, and he kissed her hand. Valera felt like tearing her eyes from her head. She couldn’t watch this any longer.

“Get your head out of the sky, girl. Perhaps time alone with your future husband will help you learn your place,” Victoria leered.

“No… this isn’t right. This can’t be right.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Theo

Theo stood by her locker in Boulder High, trying to appear invisible. Ever since her dad died, she was always alone. A memory of her dad showing her his mechanical heart flitted through her mind. She shook it out of her mind. Looking in the mirror, she adjusted the thick black eyeliner that had smudged beneath her left eye. Her mom didn’t approve of her new emo goth look, but Theo didn’t care what her mom thought. Her new style fit her mood – depressed and lonely.

A shadow loomed over her shoulder. Her worst nightmare appeared in the corner of the mirror. She swung around and slammed her locker closed. Maybe she could make a quick getaway. Charlie, the Boulder High linebacker, blocked her escape with his tree-sized arm. His friends howled behind him.

“Watch out, Charlie, she’s a biter!”

Theo threw her best menacing glare in Charlie’s direction. “Move.”

“Aww, Theodora. I just want to talk to you,” he chuckled.

“Move, or I’ll… I’ll make you move,” she stammered.

In the back of her mind, Theo knew this was wrong. She remembered punching Charlie and breaking his nose. Yet, he stood in front of her arrogant as ever with a straight unbroken nose. Down the hall a boy walked by wearing a trench coat, a top hat, and goggles. She knew him… his name was…

Charlie’s fingers brushed her hair off her shoulder. She pushed on his chest, but he didn’t budge. This wasn’t happening. She’d followed her mom into Aether, where her dad had been healed by the Steins. The artificial heart in her dad’s chest ticked just like the clock on the wall. The clock on the wall marked the end of school The bell rang. She rubbed her forehead.

“What’s wrong, Theodora? Don’t you like me?” Charlie touched her shoulder.

She jumped back. He was in front of her. She could feel him. Her dad was dead. She was in hell.

“Leave me alone, Charlie. Please,” Theo begged.

“Please, what?”

“Please, leave me alone.”

Charlie’s evil grin spread, revealing his perfect white teeth. They made Theo think of a lewd piranha. His friends laughed and urged him on. He leaned close to her ear.

“I’ll make you a deal. You give me a little kiss, and I’ll leave you alone.”

She shook her head. He slammed his fist on her locker. Her body shuddered. She just wanted to go home. Every day she lived the same nightmare. He delighted in tormenting her. She sighed. She closed her eyes and puckered her lips. One quick kiss and she’d be free. Charlie’s laughter erupted into an ear-shattering guffaw. He covered her face with his hand and pushed the back of her head against the locker.

“You wish, Goth girl. I’d rather kiss a corpse!”

Charlie and his pack strutted away in hysterics. Theo grabbed her bag against her chest and crumpled to the floor. Students passed by her without even looking. She was nothing. She cried until the halls emptied. Then, she stood up and walked home. The Victorian was cold and empty. Her mom was still at work. Throwing her bag on the stairs, she flopped down on the couch. She turned on the television and stared at snow. Every channel was static.

She thumped the remote against her palm and flipped to the next channel. Squinting, she peered into the static. Behind it, she saw a pair of emerald green eyes watching her. She touched the screen and felt a jolt. For a split second, the screen cleared. The boy with a long brown trench coat, a top hat, and a pair of odd goggles atop his head was smiling at her. She knew him. His name was… Victor. None of this was real.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Julia

Julia felt as though she’d been listening to her dad yell at her for days, and she was growing tired of it. She stared at the painting of her family behind his desk. The paint seemed to smear and discolor. She rubbed her eyes. The room transformed for a second. The painting was on the floor torn to pieces. Her dad’s papers were all over the room.

“Are you listening to me, Julia? Wake up,” Lazarus bellowed.

A spark of memory gnawed at her gut. Lazarus was dead. Theo killed him. She stared at the imposter in front of her. He frowned and lifted his hand to strike her again. She kept her hands at her sides. Beneath her fingers, she felt a hard square object. A box. A ring box. She didn’t remember where it came from, but somehow she knew it was there. Lazarus’s hand collided with her cheek. She fell to the floor. Anger rose in her belly. She stood and faced her father. He lifted his fist again.

With both hands out, Julia yelled, “No.”

He froze in midair. “No? You dare say ‘no’ to me?”

She reached into her pocket and fumbled with the box. Lazarus stepped back. His face contorting in rage. Julia slipped the ring on her finger and felt the surge of aether flow through her body. The truth barreled toward her like a rampaging bull. She was in a room in Danu’s palace. Lazarus didn’t exist, but the aether in her veins did.

“You’re not real!”

She blasted the room with frost. The hallucination of her father turned to ice and shattered. The room disintegrated. She was back in the real world. In the pitch dark, she stumbled to the wall and found her way to the door. She rattled the handle, but Eli had locked it before he left. She created a blizzard and chilled the walls. The metal door creaked. Under the jarring temperatures, it ruptured open.

She flew out of the room and collapsed into Joe. He held her up. Julia pulled back and threw her hands out at him. Her eyes struggled to focus in the light, and her mind couldn’t process his face.

“Julia, it’s Joe. Falen and I came to help you.”

“How long have I been in there?”

“Three days,” Falen said.

Julia gripped her head between her hands and squeezed her eyes shut. Slowly, her vision adjusted. Joe held a bag on his arm. The hilt of Ealga’s Sword poked from the top of the canvas. Then, she saw Falen’s hazel eyes. They reminded her of Theo’s eyes.

“Theo? Where’s Theo? We have to help them!”

“She’s behind a door we can’t open,” Falen said.

Julia growled, “I can open it.”

She couldn’t imagine the hell Danu was putting Theo and Valera through. If she could bring back Lazarus, then who was tormenting her sisters? She ran to the next cell. With all her energy, she blasted the metal. Joe and Falen rammed the weakened door with their shoulders and burst into the darkness.

Julia found Theo huddled in a corner, muttering with her eyes closed. She tried to shake Theo awake, but Theo shuddered and pushed Julia away. Using her aether stone ring, Julia formed a protective shield around her friend. Theo’s eyes shot open and blinked.

“Who’s there?”

“It’s me Julia. You’re okay, now,” Julia cooed.

“Where am I?”

“You’re in a cell in Danu’s palace. Joe and Falen are here with me.”

“My dad is he… is he alive?”

Falen wrapped his arms around his niece. “Nathaniel is alive. Do you think you can stand?”

Theo’s legs shook, but she got up. Julia helped her into the light. They moved to Valera’s cell. Theo blasted the door off its hinges. Valera ran screaming from the room.

“I won’t marry him! You can’t make me,” she shrieked at Julia.

Joe caught her in his arms and gently shook her. Beneath the protective shield, she came around. Tears streamed down her face. Valera tugged at her neck as if an invisible collar choked her.

“That was awful. My mother tried to marry me off to a horrid man.”

She shuddered. Julia chuckled, eliciting a scowl from Valera.

“You were a bride-to-be, while I was being beaten by my dead father. Danu is sick, but you have to give her props for creativity.”

“Girls, we need to get out of here. Danu will know you’re free,” Joe scolded.

“We can’t go traipsing through the palace,” Julia said.

“I saw some old clothes in a bin on my way down here. They looked pretty shabby, but you’ll blend in with the people. Those silver frocks are kind of a give-away.”

Falen left for a minute and came back holding rags. Julia surmised that they once belonged to Danu’s worshippers who didn’t meet her standard of worth. The girls dressed in the filthy clothes and messed up their hair.

“We can sneak out with the workers,” Theo said.

“What about Gideon, and Victor?” Valera panicked. “What about our parents?”

Julia didn’t want to leave Eli, especially not with Danu. Once she discovered they had escaped, she’d lash out at the boys for sure. Julia was determined to go back for them, but Joe stopped her.

“You can’t. We’ll have to come back for them later. You guys are more important.”

“No, I won’t go without him.”

Theo took Julia’s hand. “You’re not the only one leaving someone behind. My parents and Victor are back there. We can’t do this on our own. We need help.”

Julia knew that they were right, although it didn’t make leaving any easier. She set her mind on signaling Parmelia and Nessie. Joe led the way past the cells. Some of the captives looked at the girls and started talking. The brainwashed prisoners chattered and alerted the guards.

“Traitors!” Someone screamed.

Without time to waste, the girls ran for the exit. The workers turned on them and tried to stop them. Julia blasted the room with ice, pushing past outstretched hands. Theo shrieked when someone grabbed a fistful of her hair. Julia saw sparks light up the room and heard someone cry out. The smell of burnt flesh hit Julia in the face and made her gag. Joe and Falen knocked bodies to the ground and ploughed through the crowds. They forced their way to the exit only to find themselves confronted with Eli, Victor, and Gideon. The boys stood in their path along with an army behind them.

“Danu demands your surrender,” Eli shouted.

Julia stepped forward, “Please, Eli, don’t do this. I don’t want to hurt you.”

His eyes glazed over. Her words couldn’t penetrate Danu’s control over him. Eli pulled a pistol from behind him and aimed it at Julia’s chest.

“Danu demands your surrender,” he shouted again.

“Please, Eli, stop.”

He pulled the trigger and a shot tore through the air. A streak of lightning shot out in front of Julia and exploded the bullet inches from her body. Before he could get another shot, Julia formed a wall of ice. A mob appeared behind them. They were surrounded. Julia looked at Theo and Valera. They put the aether stone rings on their fingers.

“Together,” Julia hissed.

Theo blasted the wall of ice. Chunks flew out at the crowd in front of them. The power behind the blast knocked most of them to the ground. Valera hit people with fireballs. More people ran over the fallen. Julia saw Eli’s unconscious body covered in blood. She wanted to stop and help him, but Falen urged her forward.

Julia made her way to the industrial district – the only part of the city still in ruins. The bomb-mangled door to the old graveyard was close. Danu’s people recovered quickly. They gained ground. Julia felt aether being yanked away from her. Danu stood on top of a building. The ground shook beneath Julia’s feet, and a glimmer filled the air. The walls of Subterria crumbled in front of them. Julia drew on the aether stone and kept the falling rocks away with an ice tunnel. She reached the opening and waited for the others to pass. She collapsed the tunnel, and the cave-in of rocks blocked the exit. And halted Danu’s pursuit.